The TTG Top 50 travel agency where apprentices run the show
Fresh from landing yet another place in TTG’s Top 50 Travel Agencies, Cumbria Travel’s staff share how a strategic focus on hiring and mentoring apprentices has helped propel their Workington and Whitehaven agencies to success
Cumbria Travel celebrated its 10th anniversary in January. The travel agency was started by Leanne Miller and Tricia Rickerby, and has now grown to employ 27 travel experts. In the last decade, the company has recruited 17 apprentices, 11 of whom are still employed in the business.
In that time, the Workington (Dunmail Park) branch has placed four times (2019, 2020, 2024 and 2025) and the Whitehaven branch has placed in TTG’s Top 50 twice (2017 and 2018).
Katie Murray, senior manager for both the Whitehaven and Dunmail Park stores, explains that Miller started as YTS and Rickerby “as a Saturday girl” and that investing in apprentices had always formed a part of the duo’s business plan.
“We’ve had new apprentices start every year,” she says. “Some years there have been two.” A strong relationship with apprentice provider Rochdale Training has been pivotal to the programme’s success, she says. “They play a massive part in our apprenticeships,” she says.
“We are given the schedule at the start of the year, and as employers, we have a clear understanding of when apprentices need time to attend training. It’s well-managed and organised, and they have a friendly approach.”
Another advantage of the rolling programme is the support and mentoring that past apprentices can provide to newer apprentices. “Lots of us have been through the course,” she explains. “We understand what new apprentices need to do and no one feels unstuck, because multiple people have done it.”
There’s no better way than learning on the job, she says. “After a couple of weeks’ training and induction, we have the apprentices sitting at the counter, listening and learning how to sell.”
It’s not hard for Cumbria Travel to find apprentices – they field regular enquiries from school leavers and they are usually inundated as soon as they advertise a position. Interviews comprise a quick geography test involving popular landmarks and half hour on the counter, working out package prices or finding a suitable offer for Facebook. “People buy people so we’re looking for passion and personality,” says Katie. “But we also need interviewees to show they are capable of working in a fast-paced environment. You can be thrown a curveball in travel at any time, so we want to know how they’ve handled challenging situations. Even school leavers can tell us about the pressures of getting coursework done in time.”
Clear goals
Meghan Wallace-McComb is assistant manager at the Dunmail Park store. In 2018 she was working in the cinema next door when she spotted a poster advertising an apprentice role at Cumbria Travel.
“My mum had been a travel agent at Tui for years,” she says, which motivated her to apply.
Right from the start, she says she was encouraged to do lots of training, and a fam trip to Gran Canaria helped build her confidence.
“Chloe Summerfield, who had nearly finished her apprenticeship, mentored me, and it was nice to have someone the same age as me showing me the ropes,” she says.
Meghan gained a rare distinction grade and she was offered the assistant manager role in November 2022. She has mentored new apprentices Megan Sibbald, Kate McMinn and now Kelsie Weir who is close to completing her course.
The retention rate speaks for itself, says Meghan: “I think it really helps new starters feel comfortable that staff who have done the exact same course as them are still with the company – it gives them something to work towards.”
“Working as a travel agent is different every day,” she adds. “It’s not just a regular office job. We get some exciting, luxury enquiries, and that makes the job more enticing.”
Dunmail Park currently has nine members of staff, with five of those starting as apprentices. Meghan says it’s well worth the investment: “It’s not the easiest option to take on someone with no experience and train them up, but you know they want to be there, and they’re a fully trained member of staff by the end. It’s one of the best things we do as a store and we’ll continue doing it in future.”
Aptitude trumps experience
Katie Dixon is assistant manager in the Whitehaven branch. She applied for an apprentice position at Cumbria Travel’s former Carlisle store, aged 22 – she had no previous experience but plenty of passion for travel.
“I studied travel and tourism at college, and then spent two years travelling in Australia,” she explains.
Due to Covid, her apprenticeship was different to normal, with her assessments completed at home via Teams. “There was less on the job training but I stuck with it,” she says. “I was hopeful there would be an end to Covid.”
When the Carlisle store closed, Katie was transferred to Whitehaven, as a newly qualified sales consultant, and in October 2022 she became assistant manager. Returning to the agency after her maternity leave, she now works part-time, three days a week. Whitehaven has two apprentices currently – Jessica Newton, 29, and Ruby Duncan, 17.
“Age just isn’t an issue,” says Katie Murray. “Jess was so passionate to get into travel, and she has life skills and prior admin experience, which helps. She doesn’t shy away from anything that comes her way.”
Claudia Renton now works as a full-time sales consultant after she completed her apprenticeship. “Claudia was just 17 when she started with us and really quiet,” says Katie. “But she’s come out of her shell and she’s doing amazingly well – she’s now one of our top sellers.”
Apprentices are trusted to take ownership of their enquiries, she explains, while being given lots of support on the shop floor. “Ruby’s client recently had a breast cancer diagnosis,” she explains. “You might freeze in that situation [given Ruby’s age], but she was really professional and empathetic, and helped the client to move the booking once they had a doctor’s letter. The clients were regulars and they were really chuffed they didn’t need to cancel.”
“We’ve been really lucky with our apprentices,” chimes in Katie Murray. “We just love them. Yes, there’s time and investment needed in training apprentices but we’ve got to be a Top 50 Travel Agent in the UK with our apprentices.”
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